Michelle Woodfork touts law enforcement experience in run for Orleans Parish Sheriff

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With the Oct. 11 election on board, WGNO is talking to the candidates in the major races.

Former New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michelle Woodfork stopped by to answer questions about her candidacy for Orleans Parish Sheriff.

Regarding her law enforcement experience, Woodfork says, “You have to know each and every rank going up the ranks. And I, as a sergeant, was in charge of a group, a small group of people, which is about eight people. Squad. And then as a lieutenant, I was a supervisor of a platoon and then as a captain, I was over a division. And then, of course, as the interim superintendent, I led the entire department. I think it’s very important to know each and every job that has to be done inside of a law enforcement agency. So, I think, that is an advantage for me.”

The May escape of 10 inmates from the jail, the mistaken release of an inmate, and the recent cyber-attack all loom large over this current election. WGNO asked the former chief how she would have responded differently from the current sheriff.

“Well, I think, any leader is going to be proactive with planning, to curtail whether it’s violence, whether it’s a jail break, things of that nature. So, probably would have had mechanisms in place to deter that kind of incident from occurring. But after, in the aftermath, make sure that my entire team, on down to every deputy is media trained. It’s really important, that you get that media trained. And so, when there is an incident of this magnitude that the correct information is going out, detailed information is going out, and it’s done in a timely manner,” said Woodfork.

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